How Many Decorative Pillows Is Too Many?

Perhaps it has happened to you: You’re a guest in your friend’s lovely (maybe <em>too</em> lovely) home and when you walk into the guest room you can’t find the bed for the mound of decorative pillows sitting atop it.</br></br>At what point – at what number of pillows – does this become weird? That’s what we’re here to discuss, with the up-front caveat that there is no judgment, only the scientific question: <em>How many decorative pillows can you have on your guest bed before your guest gives up and sleeps on the couch?</em></br></br><strong>1 Decorative Pillow</strong></br></br>Be careful here, because people might think <em>this</em> is weird. If you’re going the decorative-pillow route, you have to commit to a certain degree. One <a title="Decorative Pillows" href="http://www.atgstores.com/bed/bed-bath/pillows-shams/decorative-pillows/?linkloc=tn" target="_blank">decorative pillow</a> is technically worse than none … unless it’s one of those long jobbies.</br></br><a title="Rose Tree Neck Roll" href="http://www.atgstores.com/general/rose-tree-place-vendome-decorative-neckroll-pillow_g1592394.html" rel="attachment wp-att-24238" target="_blank"><img class=" wp-image-24238 " title="Neck Roll" src="//sa.atgstores.com/img/blog/2014/11/neckroll-300x300.jpg" alt="Neck Roll" width="239" height="239" /></a> "Long jobby" is way better than "neck roll."</br></br><strong>2 Decorative Pillows</strong></br></br>Now we’re talkin’. Anyone with a good head on their shoulders is gonna tell ya this is the sweet spot. You have two extra pillows; use ‘em, don’t use ‘em, whatever. They’re not gettin’ in the way of anything. You toss ‘em on the floor, you put ‘em back when you make the bed, bah-da bing bah-da boom.</br></br><strong>3 Decorative Pillows</strong></br></br>This is still well within the Green Zone of the decorative pillow battlefield. Three pillows offers bed decorators their first real chance to mix and match, which is hard for a pillow enthusiast to resist. And, from a practical point of view, it’s still not enough to send a guest into pillow shock.</br></br><strong>4 Decorative Pillows</strong></br></br>While seemingly excessive to the more conservative decorator, four is a very popular number in the world of cute little pillows. You’ve got the two bigger ones that match each other, and then the two smaller ones that match, but also complement the bigger ones ... Adorable.</br></br><strong>5 Decorative Pillows</strong></br></br>Now you’ve officially red-lined. The notorious fifth pillow is necessarily small, probably oddly shaped and most certainly entirely useless. This is the one that gets kicked under the bed (or thrown out the window in frustration) by your otherwise charming and gracious houseguest.</br></br><strong>6 or More Decorative Pillows</strong></br></br>You may be in trouble. Your houseguest is <em>definitely</em> in trouble. And, before you reach this point, think about this: Anyone who sleeps in that room is going to feel so guilty about destroying your Pillow Fortress that they’ll lose sleep over it in the very place where you want them to relax!</br></br>Truth.